Device for operating and locking prison-doors.



B. F. KLOHS. DEVICE FOR OPERATING AND LOCKING PRISON noons. APPLICATION FILED MAR.'29,1909.

Patented July 19,1910.

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B. F. KLOHS.

, DEVICE FOR OPERATING AND LOOKING PRISON noons.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29,1909.

Patented July 19, 1910.

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B. F. KLOHS. memos FOR OPERATING AND LOOKING mason DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29,1909,

Patented July 19,1910.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

BARTI-IOLOMEW F. KLOHS, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR TO THE 'DIEBOLD SAFE 85 LOCK COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING AND LOCKING PRISON-DOORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARrHoLoMEw F. KLoHs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Operating and Locking Prison-Doors.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means to open and close prison-doors by mechanism intermediate the doors and the end or side of a prison structure.

Another object is to provide means for indicating the exact position of any door of a series and still another object is to provide means whereby any given door or a series of doors can be actuated independently of any other door of the series.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the detailed construction and novel arrangement hereinafter more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification and to the figures of reference marked thereon, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation showing parts broken away and parts removed showing two doors of a series and illustrating one of the doors entirely closed and locked and the other door entirely open and unlocked. Fig. 2 is a view showing the proper relationship of the housing located above the cell doors and the lever box in proper relation thereto, the figure being a rear sectional elevation illustrating one of the doors open and the other closed, but unlocked. Fig. 3 is a view showing the door jambs and one lock-bar and illustrating the door cut at line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a vertical sec tion on line H, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 55, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view showing a portion of a single cell and illustrating a portion of the prison door showing the same partially open and illustrating the lower portion of a prison showing the position of the guide plate. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 7-7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a series of door operating levers and their guiding segments showing the same properly attached to the wall of the lever box. Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view of one of the door operating levers showing parts broken away. Fig. 10 is a detached perspective view of one of the lever locking blocks and its actuating spring.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 29, 1-909.

Patented July 19, 1910. Serial No. 486,477.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken on line 11-11, Fig. 1. Fig. 12 is a view showing a portion of the door actuating shaft illustrating one of theworm gears properly located thereon in section and the holding collar secured to the shaft also showing a portion of the sliding clutch in section illustrating said sliding clutch out of engagement with the worm clutch. Fig. 13 is a horizontal section taken on line 13-13, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 represents the front of a prison and 2 one of the ends of the prison structure. Above the doors is located a shaft 3, which shaft is formed of a length designed to correspond substantially with the length of a series of prison cells the length corresponding to the number of doors in the series. To one end of the shaft 3 is securely attached the beveled pinion 4, which beveled pinion meshes with the beveled gear wheel 5, which beveled gear wheel is securely mounted upon a vertical shaft 6, which vertical shaft is journaled at its top or upper end in the bracket 7, which bracket is securely connected to the inner wall of the lever or lock box and the lower end of said shaft properly journaled in the upper member of the yoke 8. The lower end of the vertical shaft 6 is provided with the beveled pinion 9, which beveled pinion meshes with the gear wheel 10, which gear wheel is fixedly mounted upon the crank shaft 11, said shaft being journaled in the yoke 8 and is located at right angles to the vertical shaft 6 or substantially so. The crank shaft 11 is provided with the angled extension 12, upon which angled extension is detachably connected the crank 13 by means of the socket shank 14s. It will be understood that when the crank 13 is placed in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 rotary motion can be imparted to the shaft 3 by means of the various shafts and gear wheels just above described.

Upon the shaft 3 are loosely mounted a series of worm gears 15, the number of worm gears corresponding with the number of doors in the series; that is to say if two doors constitute the series then two Worm 1 gears 15 are necessary. For the purpose of no holding the worm gears 15 against'sliding or what might be termed endwise movement upon the shaft 3 said gears are located between the bearings 16 and the fixed collars 17, said collars 17 being secured by set screws 18 or their equivalents. The shaft 3 is held against end movement by a suitable fixed collar 19 located against the bearing 16 and the collars 17 located against the clutch end of the worm gears 15. It will be under stood that other means may be employed to prevent end movement of the shaft 3 without departing from the nature of my invention.

Upon the shaft 3 are located a series of clutch members 20, which clutch members rotate with the shaft 3 but are so connected that a sliding or reciprocating movement can be imparted to the clutch members for the urpose hereinafter described. It will be understood that when the clutch members 20 are out of engagement with the clutch ends 21 of the worm gears 15 no rotary movement of the shaft 3 will be imparted to said worm gears during the time rotary movement is imparted to the shaft 3, but when the clutch members 20 and the clutch heads21 arebrought into engagement with each other as illus trated at the right hand end of Fig. 1, then rotary movement will be imparted to the worm gears 15.

Directly below each worm gear 15 is located a toothed segment 22 which toothed segment meshes with the worm gear 15 as illustrated in Fig. 1 and when rotary motion is imparted to the Worm gears 15 a rocking movement will be imparted to the toothed segment 22. To each toothed segment 22 is attached or formed integral therewith the downward extending door operating lever or arm 23, each door operating arm 23 being pivotally mounted upon a short stud or post 24 which short stud or post is connected to the bearing 25, which bearing is connected to the track plate 26. Said track plate is formed of a length to correspond substantially with the length of a series of cells and is located above the cell door. This track plate 26 alsoconstitutes the bottom of the chamber or housing for the shaft 3, together with the different parts directly connected to said shaft 3. Directly below this track plate 26 are located the doors 27 which doors are suspended by means of the track plate 26 upon which track plate the traveling wheels 28 move back and forth, said traveling wheels being j ournaled to the carriage blocks 29.

It will be understood that the extreme tops of the doors 27 extend upward through the slots 30 and to the portions so extended above the slots 30 are attached the carriage blocks 29. To the doors 27 and between their top and bottom ends are attached the studs 31, which studs are for the purpose of providing means for actuating or moving in a horizontal plane the doors 27 as hereinafter described.

It will be understood that when a rocking or oscillating movement is imparted to the toothed segments 22 the bottom or lower ends of the arms or levers 23 will move in the arc of a circle and in order to provide for the true horizontal movement of the doors 27 the bottom or lower ends of the levers 23 are provided with the elongated slots 32 through which slots the studs 31 pass. For the purpose of reducing friction the studs 31 are provided with anti-friction rollers 33, which rollers are mounted upon the studs 31, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 11.

To the wall 2 or its equivalent are attached in any convenient and well known manner the flange-brackets 34 to which flange-brackets are pivotally attached the inner ends of the door operating arms or levers 35, which levers extend outward and beyond the outer edges of the segmental plates 36, which segmental plates are for the purpose of holding in proper spaced relationship the arms or levers 35 and also provide a means for guiding the movements of said levers. The segmental plates 36 are provided with the attaching flanges 37 which flanges are securely attached to the wall 2 or its equivalent. To each of the arms or levers 35 are attached the rods 38 which rods extend upward and have their upper ends pivotally attached to the bell cranks 39, which bell cranks are pivotally attached to the flange brackets 40, said brackets being connected to the wall 2 or its equivalent. To the bell cranks 39 are attached the reciprocating bars 41 and 42 which bars are held in proper position by means of suitable guide plates or bearings 43, said guide plates or bearings being connected to the rear wall 44 of the housing located above the doors proper. For the purpose of providing means for actuating the levers 35 said levers are provided with sockets 45 located or formed in the outer free ends of the arms or levers 35. These sockets 45 are for the purpose of receiving the operating handle 46, which operating handle is formed of a length to provide sufficient leverage to easily operate the devices designed to lock and unlock the cell doors 27.

It will be understood that the levers or arms 35 should be held against accidental displacement and at the same time so held that they cannot be moved when the handle 46 is detached from the socket and operating levers 35. In order to provide for thus holding the levers in predetermined positions the segmental plates 36 are provided with the notches 'or recesses 47 which notches or recesses are for the purpose of receiving the holding head or block 48, which holding head or block is normally pushed or forced outward or against the inner edges of the segmental plates 36 by means of the spring 49, which spring is located in the chamber of the lever 35 as best illustrated in Fig. 9. For the purpose of illustrating the rear or abutting wall against which the spring is designed to press a portion of the spring 49 is broken away. It will be understood that when the lever or handle 46 is placed in the proper socket 45 and moved endwise or into said socket its inner end will come in contact with the block or head 48 and by a con tinued inward movement of said lever 46 the block or head 48 will be detached from the notch or recess 47 at which time the lever 35 is free to be moved up and down upon its pivotal point. Assuming that the handle or lever 46 and the lever 35 is brought into an elevated position as illustrated in Fig. 1 the particular door con trolled by the lever 35 will be unlocked as hereinafter described. The door unlocked and the one controlled by the upper lever 35 is the door shown at the right hand end of Fig. 1. As the lever or handle 46 is moved upward together with the lever or arm 35 its rod 38 will be moved upward which in turn rocks the bell crank 39 and in turn imparts a reciprocating movement to the horizontal sliding bar 42. To this sliding horizontal bar 42 is attached the upward extending arm or bar 50, which bar is located between the shoulders 51 and 52. As the bar 42 is moved so as to carry the upward extending arm 50 toward the clutch member 21 the spring 53 will force the sliding clutch member 21 so as to bring the clutch members into proper engagement with each other. When the handle or lever 46 is moved downward it moves the bar 42 in the opposite direction bringing the upward extending arm 51 against the shoulder 52 and moving the sliding clutch member 20 so as to disengage or uncouple the clutch proper at which time no rotation can be imparted to the worm gear 15 and no movement imparted to the door 27. It will be understood that for the purpose of coupling the spring 53 a collar such as 54 should be attached to the shaft 8.

In describing the clutch mechanism as just above reference has been had to that operated by the bar 42, but it will be understood that the same description will apply to the mechanism of the bar 41 and also the mechanism for operating said bar 41 as said parts are all duplicates of each other or a practically so.

It is well known that in the management of prisons it is of importance that all cells containing prisoners should have the doors closed and the prisoners securely locked within their cells and it is also of importance that when the prisoners are thus locked in their cells the lever or what might be termed the operating box or housing should be properly closed and locked by the turnkey or person having charge of the prison. To the lever or operating box proper is hinged a door 55 which door is to be properly locked so that no access can be had to the mechanism designed to open and close the prison doors except by such persons having the proper charge. In the construction of prisons it is usual and customary to locate the lock or lever box at the end of the corridor and outside of the corridor door, which corridor door is also to be locked. This construction is however common and well understood. It is also of importance to provide means whereby the lock box or lever box door 55 cannot be closed and locked until all of the prison doors are closed and in order to provide for thus preventing the closing of the door 55 a series of rods or bars 56 are provided, which rods or bars are connected to the carriage blocks 29 and are formed of such a length that when the doors are closed they will not interfere with the door 55, but when the doors are open or partially opened the bars 56 will extend beyond the housing or wall of the lever or look box so that the door 55 cannot be closed. In Fig. 1 one of the bars 56 is shown extended which is the one connected to the right hand carriage block 29 shown in Fig. 1 and the other bar 56 which is connected to the left hand carriage block 29 shown in position to permit the door to be closed. To the ends of the reciprocating bars 41 and 42 are pivotally attached the bell cranks 57, which bell cranks are pivoted to the wall of the upper housing.

It will be understood that when the horizontal bars 42 are moved in the direction to bring the clutch members into engagement the upper end of the bell cranks 57 will be moved downward which downward movement imparts a downward movement to the proper door locking bar 58 by reason of the bell crank 57 being extended through a slot or opening 59. The operation of the lock bar 58 will be hereinafter more fully described.

Upon the outer-faced walls of the prison proper are securely attached in any con venient and well known manner the channel bars 60 and to one vertical edge of each door 27 is attached the ribbed bar 61 and when any given door is properly closed the rib or flange 62 upon the ribbed bar 61 will enter the channel bar 60 so that there can be no springing or outward movement of the door. To each door is attached in any convenient and well. known manner the stop flange or angled bar 63 beyond which are extended the angled portions 64, which angled portions are spaced from each other as best illustrated in F 3. To the outer wall of the prison proper is attached in any convenient and well known manner the lock bar housing 65 which is preferably formed rectangular in cross section and is preferably formed of two parts and the parts connected together in any convenient and well known manner. lVithin this housing is located the lock bar 58, which lock bar is provided with stepped edges 66 and 67 and also projections 68, which projections are formed of such a length that their outer edges will abut against the inner face of the outer plate of the lock bar housing 65, so that a true reciprocating movement will be imparted to the lock ba 58. Directly at one side of the lock bar is located the bar 69, which bar is provided with the recesses 70, said recesses being for the purpose of receiving the angled and extended portions Get. In order to positively lock any given cell door it is moved in a horizontal plane toward the housing 65 until the angled or flanged portions 64 have passed through the slots 71 and moved into the recesses and when the door is in the above mentioned position or closed and the lock bar given an upward movement the door will be locked by reason of the wider portion of the lock bar 58, directly opposite the flanges 66, will come in alinement with the flanged extensions 64 thereby locking the door against horizontal movement, but when the locking bar 58 is given a downward movement the narrow portions of the lock bar or those portions directly back of the flanges or edges 67 will be brought into alinement with the flanged extensions 64 thereby, releasing the door so that it is free to move in a horizon tal plane so far as the locking bar 58 is concerned. It will be understood, however, that although any given door is released by the downward movement of the lock bar 58 no horizontal or sliding movement,can be imparted to the door unless the worm gear 15 is rotated, owing to the fact that the toothed segment 22 cannot rock or oscillate except at such times as the worm gear 15 is rotated. It will be understood that by this arrangement any given cell door can be partially opened for the purpose of ventilation, but cannot be moved by any manual force applied directly upon the door partially opened.

It will be understood that provision must be made for access to the housing located above the cell doors for the purpose of oiling the movable parts and for such other purposes as may be necessary from time to time and in order to provide for suitable access for any purpose the housing is provided with suitable doors 72, which doors are hinged at their bottom or lower ends as illustrated in Figs. 4L and 5 and for the purpose of normally holding the doors in an upright and closed position as illustrated in Figs. t and 5 and also in the central portion of Fig. 2, an ordinary spring catch 73 is provided which catch has an outward extending operating knob 74:. For the purpose of locking the doors 7 2 against outward movement the doors are provided with the notched flanged plates 7 5, which plates are providedwith the notches 76 located at the tops or upper ends of the plates illustrated in Fig. 5.

Directly above the doors and in the upper portion of the housing containing the door located above the notches 76.

It will be understood that by imparting reciprocating movement to the bar 77 that the doors 72 can be locked or released, reference being had to the posit-ion of the bar and the notches 79. In order to provide means for imparting a reciprocating movement to the bar 77, a bell crank 80 is provided, which bell crank is pivotally attached to the wall of the housing or its equivalent and one end of the crank connected to the bar 77 by means of the stud 81 and the elongated slot 82, said slot being for the purpose of providing means for imparting a true reciprocating motion to the bar 77 regardless of the are prescribed by the movement of the bell crank 80. To the bell crank 80 is attached the link 83, which link extends downward and to its bottom or lower end is attached the operating lever Set, which operating lever is fulcrumed upon the bracket 85. The lever 84; and the link are located in the lever box as illustrated in Fig. 2.

By providing means for holding the vertical edges of the door against outward springing movement when they are locked it becomes unnecessary to provide any external holding flange or plate located directly in front of the door opening. Heretofore ithas been necessary to provide an upward extending flange to hold the bottom or lower ends of prison doors which upward extending flange forms an obstruction in removing dirt from the cells, but by leaving the lower floor of the cell free from any perienced in removing dirt and water can be forced through the hose in the usual manner and the dirt easily removed.

It will be understood that in the construction of prisons no movable part should be exposed, which movable parts can be 75, best obstruction no difliculty is extampered with if exposed and in order to conceal and inclose the operating lever or arm 23 a covering plate such as 86 is provided and is attached to the flange 87, which flange is secured to the door 27. It will also be understood when the plate 86 is placed in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 11 that the anti-friction roller 33 will be held against displacement. For the purpose of preventing any springing of the vertical side walls of the housing located above the cell doors suitable spacing thimbles 88 are provided which are located upon the bolts 89, which bolts are connected to the vertical side members of the housing.

For the purpose of preventing the toothed segments 22, from any lateral displacement they are provided with the curved slots 90 through which slots are located bolts 91 said bolts being secured to one of the vertical walls of the housing.

F or the purpose of properly spacing the segmental plates 36 and at the same time preventing any lateral springing of said plates the clamping bolts 92 are provided, upon which clamping bolts are located the spacing thimblos 93.

For the purpose of guiding the lower ends of the doors 27 and also for the purpose of preventing any swinging movement of the doors at any time when open or partially open the angled guide flange 27 is provided, which angled guide flange is located at one side of the cell door opening thereby leaving the bottoms or sills of the doors entirely free from obstruction so that dirt can be easily removed as above described.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A structure of the character described, a cell, a fixed track or way, a cell door mounted 011 the track or way, a rotatable shaft, an operating lever or arm pivoted to the cell structure, the longer end of said arm extending across the door, and having its extremity connected thereto, mechanism for rocking said arm upon the rotation of the shaft normally out of engagement with the shaft, and including a spring impelled coup ling adapted to engage said rocking mechanism with the shaft and rocking mechanism for the cell door, part of which holds the coupling out of engagement with the rocking mechanism when the door is locked, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. In a structure of the character described, a cell, having a door opening, a fixed track or way above the door opening, a sliding door, having wheels mounted upon the track or way, a casing inclosing said track or way and the wheels, a lever pivoted to the cell structure within said casing, its longer end projecting through the casing and pivotally engaging said door, mechanism for operating said lever, and inclosed within the casing, and a casing mounted on the door, and inclosing the longer end of the lever.

8. In a structure of the class described, a series of cells, a sliding door for each cell, mounted upon a track or way, an operating arm or lever for each door pivotally mounted upon the cell structure, the longer end of each lever being pivotally engaged with the door, a toothed segment gear forming the short end of each lever, a rotatable shaft, gears mounted loosely upon the shaft and meshing with said segmental gears, independent means for connecting and disconnecting any one of said gears to or from the shaft independently of any other gear, looking mechanism for each cell door, operated by said means for connecting or disconnecting said gears with the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft.

4. In a structure of the character described, a series of cells, a sliding door for each cell, a rotatable shaft extending above all of the cells, a series of worm gears loosely mounted on the shaft, one gear for each door, means connected to each door, and meshing with the complementary worm gear, for operating the doors, a clutch member on each worm gear, a complementary clutch member slidingly and rotatably mounted on the shaft, a clutch operating rod for each door engaging said shiftable clutch member to shift it, means for manually moving each rod, independently of any other rod, a vertically movable locking bar engaging in one position with said door when closed, and a connection between each locking bar, and the locking rod for that door, whereby when the operating rod is moved to shift the clutch members into engagement, the locking bar shall be moved into an inoperative position.

5. In a structure of the character described, a series of cells, an end compartment having a door, a door for each cell, door operating means inclosed within the end compartment, and indicating rods connected to each of said cell doors, and extending within the end compartment, each of said rods being so connected to its cell door that when said cell door is open the indicating rod thereof shall project into the path of movement of the door of said compartment and prevent the closing of the door.

6. In a ail structure, a cell having a doorway, one side thereof being provided wi h an outwardly projecting jamb having a flange projecting laterally away from the doorway, the other side of the doorway having a vertically extending casing provided with a plurality of openings, in combination with a sliding door, one edge of which is formed with an inwardly projecting margin having a returned flange to engage behind the laterally projecting flange of the jamb, the other margin of the door having projections adapted to pass through the openings in the casing, each projection being inwardly angled at its end, and a stepped locking bar movable in said casing, and fitting between the outer and inner walls thereof and engageable in one position with the angled ends of said projections.

T. In a ail structure, a sliding cell door, a rotatable shaft, gearing for translating the rotary movement of the shaft into a lateral movement of the door, a spring impelled shiftable clutch member for throwing the gearing in engagement with the shaft, a clutch releasing rod, :1 door locking mechanism moved into inoperative position by a movement of the said rod, a member on the rod having sliding engagement with the clutch member and acting when the rod is in one position to hold the clutch member out of engagement with the gear and spaced stops on the clutch member between which the rod member engages.

8. In a jail structure, a sliding cell-door, a rotatable shaft extending above all of the doors and parallel therewith, a plurality of worin gears slidably mounted on the shaft, one gear for each door, a plurality of levers, one for each door pivoted above the door, the longer end of each lever being connected to the, door and the short end being formed with a segment gear with which the corresponding worm gear ens gages, a clutch member formed on each of the worm gears, a plurality of sliding clutch members, one for each of the worm gears, springs for forcing the sliding clutch members into engagement with the members of the worm gears, a plurality of vertically moving locking bars, one for each of the doors, a bell crank for each locking bar adapted for lifting the locking bar out of engagement with the doors, a plurality of sliding actuating bars, one bar for each door and connected to said bell crank, each locking bar having a member projecting there- -from and in engagement with the corresponding clutch member and adapted to hold said clutch member out of engagementwith the opposed clutch member when the bar is retracted, a plurality of pivoted sockets mounted exterior to the cell structure and connected to the lock operating bars to actuate the same, a handle connected in said sockets, a mechanism located outside the cell structure for rotating the door operating the shaft.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

BARTHOLOMEXV F. KLOHS.

lVitnesses SYLVIA BORON,

\VILLIAM H. MILLER. 

